Romanian plăcintă, cheese and raisin spiral pie

Name: Romanian plăcintă, cheese and raisin spiral pie
Ingredients: 100 g raisins; 200 ml water for soaking; 1 teaspoon rum extract; 10 g fresh yeast; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 egg; 150 ml yogurt; 150 ml sparkling mineral water; 80 ml oil; 450 g flour; 1 pinch salt; 500 g cottage cheese; 200 g sugar; 2 eggs; 60 ml oil for the pastry sheets and parchment paper; 1 tablespoon cold water

Dessert - Romanian plăcintă, cheese and raisin spiral pie by Elisabeta M. - Recipia

Romanian plăcintă, a cheese and raisin spiral pie, bakes up with browned layers and a fluffy center, while the cottage cheese stays tucked in the filling. I chose this dough for its airy center and make sure the cottage cheese is well drained, since the filling needs to sit between the twists of dough without softening them as they bake. Preparation: 40 minutes. Cooking: 30 minutes. Resting: 45 minutes. Total time: 115 minutes. Servings: 10. Approximately 500 kcal and 13 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

100 g raisins
200 ml water for soaking
1 teaspoon rum extract
10 g fresh yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 egg
150 ml yogurt
150 ml sparkling mineral water
80 ml oil
450 g flour
1 pinch salt
500 g cottage cheese
200 g sugar
2 eggs
60 ml oil for the pastry sheets and parchment paper
1 tablespoon cold water

Preparation

1. Put the raisins in 200 ml water with the rum extract and leave to soak for 15 minutes. 2. Rub the yeast with 1 teaspoon sugar until it liquefies. Separate one egg and set aside the yolk. Beat the egg white with the yogurt, sparkling mineral water and 80 ml oil, then stir in the yeast. 3. Mix the flour with a pinch of salt. Gradually pour in the liquid mixture and knead until you have a smooth, even dough that isn't sticky. 4. Divide the dough into four equal pieces and shape them into balls. Brush with 15 ml oil, cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for about 30 minutes. 5. Thoroughly oil the work surface with 20 ml oil. Roll out the pieces of dough one at a time, drizzle each sheet with oil, then fold it lengthwise into four and roll it up loosely. Cover the parcels with plastic wrap and leave for 15 minutes. 6. Mix the cottage cheese with the sugar and the two eggs. Drain the raisins and add them to the filling. 7. Unfold the parcels one at a time and stretch the sheets out by hand. Use 15 ml oil to drizzle them, then add the filling and roll up each sheet. Twist the first roll into a snail shape and place it in the middle of a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Continue the spiral with the remaining rolls. Brush the parchment paper with 10 ml oil. 8. Mix the reserved yolk with 1 tablespoon cold water and brush it over the pie. Bake at 180°C for 30 minutes, until browned.

Notes

Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; take a slice out before serving so it can come to room temperature. A simple black tea goes well alongside and lets the raisins come through. The spiral is something like a twisted sweet bread, but here the filling shows in every slice. For a change, you can use 100 g dried cranberries instead of the raisins, and the filling will be more tart. The pie contains gluten, dairy and eggs. Choose cottage cheese that is well drained and slightly crumbly; if you see whey in the container, leave it in a sieve until it stops dripping. You can cut very large raisins in half, and leave the small ones whole. Stretching the sheets by hand is the part I tend not to rush: I work gradually from the center toward the edges without pulling on just one corner.